Fats Waller

Thomas "Fats" Waller was a New York pianist and singer born in 1904. He played in a style called stride piano, with a syncopated left hand and improvisational right hand that gave his music its bounce and humor. Songs like "Ain't Misbehavin'" and "Blue Turning Grey Over You" show how he could turn a simple melody into something both clever and warm.

He recorded a lot of music during his career, working with musicians like trumpeter Jabbo Smith and trombonist Charlie Green. The songs he wrote and performed, including "A Good Man Is Hard To Find" and "Lulu's Back In Town," became standards that other jazz players kept returning to. There was a playfulness in his delivery that made even familiar material feel fresh.

Waller struggled with alcohol for much of his life, and his weight was often mentioned in the press. But what stayed with listeners was the sheer joy in his playing, that combination of technical skill and lighthearted wit. You can hear it in a tune like "Cross Patch" or "A Little Bit Independent", the piano lines are precise, but they never sound studied or stiff.